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Honor the 15 Young Girls Illegally Imprisoned in the Leesburg Stockade

They deserve recognition for the peaceful contributions they made to the Civil Rights Movement!

Goal:30,000•Progress:7,439

Sponsored by:Greatergood.org

In the summer of 1963, 15 young civil rights activists (ages 12 to 15) were illegally imprisoned for two months.

They were part of a group of 200 people peacefully protesting segregation when they were hauled off to jail in Dawson, Georgia. The following day, they were shuttled to an abandoned, one-room stockade in Leesburg, Georgia - all without their parents' knowledge. There, they were held against their will for two months, without bedding, fresh clothes, sanitary products, adequate food, or working plumbing.

They were finally released after photographs of their plight surfaced, but their story quickly faded into obscurity. Now, 50 years later, these women are breaking their silence to bring awareness to the small, powerful actions of peace that have helped shape this country.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded yearly to individuals or groups who have made "especially meritorious contributions to the... national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors." The Leesburg Stockade Girls sacrificed two months of their young lives by taking a stand all those years ago. Their contributions to the civil rights movement cannot go unnoticed!

Sign the petition urging President Trump to award this medal to the nine remaining women of the Leesburg Stockade, and to posthumously award it to the six that have passed away.

In April of 2016, Congressman Sanford Bishop, Congressman John Lewis, and Congressman Hank Johnson, all of Georgia, also wrote you with the same request. We believe in the power of the people to enact change.

The egregious treatment these 15 girls suffered during the summer of 1963 was a direct result of their peaceful protest against segregation. At the tender ages of 12-15, these girls were youthful, impressionable, and passionate about equal rights. They sacrificed two months of their lives in pursuit of these rights, and the physical and emotional ramifications of the events that transpired have stayed with them their whole lives.

They were illegally imprisoned in the abandoned stockade in Leesburg for two months, without proper nutrition, clean water, working plumbing, sanitary products, or bedding. Their parents were unaware of their whereabouts. They were finally released, quietly and without fanfare, after a photographer for the Student Nonviolent Coordination Committee, Danny Lyon, published photos of the girls' situation. The authorities responsible for their imprisonment were never punished.

Now they are breaking their silence about Leesburg in order to shine a light on the influential actions of young people during the civil rights movement. Their sacrifices have remained unacknowledged for too long.

Only 9 of the 15 women are alive today, but we believe all 15 women deserve this honor. It is our hope that you, too, see the bravery and nobility of these women, and recognize their nonviolent methods of protest at such a volatile point in our nation's history with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

We believe that awarding these women this medal will help further the equality movement to address the problems that unfortunately still exist in our nation today. Thank you for your consideration of our request.

Sincerely,

Petition Signatures

Feb 20, 2018lLeslie Shellberg

Feb 19, 2018Ronald Sonesen

Feb 18, 2018Lisa Kauhl

Feb 18, 2018(Name not displayed)

Feb 16, 2018Carl O Connor

Feb 16, 2018Randall Bong

Feb 15, 2018Axa Tolonen

Feb 13, 2018(Name not displayed)

Feb 10, 2018Susan Pizza

Feb 10, 2018ALEXANDRA M MANOLESCOTHERE SHOULD ALSO BE FINANCIAL COMPENSATION FOR THEIR SUFFERING!!!!! ALEXANDRA M MANOLESCO

Feb 7, 2018Dorothy Loffredo

Feb 4, 2018Rebecca Lambert

Feb 2, 2018Shabnam Shafiq

Feb 2, 2018wynta dangerfield

Jan 30, 2018(Name not displayed)

Jan 29, 2018(Name not displayed)Award them and reimburse them for their time in jail as KIDS!
https://www.liveaction.org/petition/

Jan 28, 2018Julie Berberi

Jan 25, 2018Dawn Williams

Jan 24, 2018Joni Armstrong

Jan 24, 2018Kevin Dahl

Jan 23, 2018Lora Zeis

Jan 22, 2018Autumn Wilson

Jan 22, 2018Harolyn Giordano

Jan 20, 2018Helen Pattison

Jan 18, 2018Danielle Evans

Jan 17, 2018Richard Bosboom

Jan 13, 2018Stacey Cannon

Jan 12, 2018Andrey Yushchenko

Jan 12, 2018Mr and Mrs Richard N. Huff

Jan 11, 2018Jen Valentino

Jan 10, 2018Marc Gregory

Jan 9, 2018libba halavey

Jan 9, 2018(Name not displayed)

Jan 7, 2018Chelsea Rivera

Jan 6, 2018Sandie Brown

Jan 5, 2018(Name not displayed)

Jan 5, 2018(Name not displayed)Honor The 15 Young Girls Illegally Imprisoned In The Leesburg Stockade!
They deserve recognition for the peaceful contributions they made to the Civil Rights Movement!
#Leesburg15